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Category Archives: health

Oh yes I said it. I just made ice cream in minutes, with just a small food processor. And it is healthy!

Do you have Bananas? Frozen Bananas? Well then you can have creamy ice cream in minutes.

I was so excited about this treat it has brought be back to my blog after a super long absence. I haD barely finished inhaling this treat and jumped on my computer to share it. I had seen “one ingredient ice cream” on Pinterest a few times so thought I’d try my luck.

The elevator pitch to make banana ice cream is this: Take a frozen banana per person, peal them, cut them into coins, drop into a small food processor and pulse away until smooth and creamy. You can eat it right away- kinda like soft malt ice cream or freeze it and have a colder, harder ice cream. HOW FLIPPING EASY!

As I was jumping up and down in the kitchen i decided to add a few coconut flakes and a bit of chocolate sauce to garnish. As you can see I couldn’t wait long enough to make it a perfect shot – I had to eat it!

ONE INGREDIENT BANANA ICE CREAM

Ingredients

2 bananas

Directions:

Peel frozen Bananas and cut into coins

Pulse them in a small food processor

Scrape the bananas down every minute with a spatula, continue pulsing.

It will go from frozen chunks, to a bit like gooey oatmeal then all of a sudden it will smooth out and become creamy – soft server ice cream style

Add any extras at this point, pulse to blend them in and to aerate the banana ice cream a bit more.

Eat or Freeze in an air tight container to eat the next day for a more solid style ice cream.

Yep Thats it. Now you can get creative and add other yummy things…. like a few almonds, or peanut butter, or honey, or maple syrup, or Nutella, or maybe Kahlua (ohhhh that’s my next one). Wonder what a bit of ginger or cinnamon or cocoa, butterscotch chips… toss in anywhere from one teaspoon to a couple tablespoons depending on how your tastebuds.

I can’t wait to make this for my daughter tomorrow night. Beats a donut any night.

When you have a child you dread parking lots. If you have more than one I bet the dread is doubled or tripled.

Picture this scenario a moment … it may or may not have happened to me … ok whom I kidding it totally has:

Your hands are usually full or pushing a loaded shopping cart, that has one wheel not working properly causing you to continually veer left . You are left to counter the drifting cart with your precious groceries from Costco or SuperStore by throwing your whole body behind the cart. Your 3 year old has decided she is too big to sit in a cart and you are THAT parent yelling at your kid to “Get over here and stay beside me Now!” as she darts towards your car and you have 3 seconds where you can’t see them. Scares the daylights out of me.

We have implemented the SAFETY SPOT The gas tank cover now acts as the Safety Spot.

Little A knows she has to go touch the gas tank cover and CONTINUE touching this safety spot when we are near our car getting in or out. I know exactly where she is at all times. She touches the spot while I grab anything I need from the car before locking up. She isn’t running round the car, or leaving when my back is turned.

What parent hasn’t accidentally bonked their child in the head with the car door because the little kid moves so fast. Our safety spot has reduced this risk, accompanying guilt and several goose-eggs .

When we are parallel parked she can run from the park to the car and stays with her hand on the safety spot. It isn’t that I take my eyes off her but there is now trust and a bit of independence.

Little A and I spent a few days visiting my mom and dad while my husband was also out of town promoting and celebrating his short film.

I couldn’t believe how much better my mom was doing. She’s not 100% yet but compared to a month ago there is a huge difference, I was so relieved and proud of her progress.

Over the weekend we did regular everyday things. It was like winning the lottery. We enjoyed a visit to the park, watching Little A run across a field with a kite dancing behind her. My mom tired easily but was happy to simply watch Little A play tag with her new found friends in the playground. I was happy to be sitting beside my mom laughing and chatting on a bench in the sunshine. Little A was happy just to be near her Nana, yelling at her to “Watch this Nana” as she climbed, jumped and ran about.

We also went to our favourite place (Hello Toast) for a latte and a treat. There happened to be a street performer across the street playing and as I sat there listening to him I became absolutely overwhelmed with gratitude for all that was good at that exact moment in my life. My mom sat down with the drinks and I jumped out of my seat, gave her a huge hug and said ” Thank you mom, for fighting so hard to get healthy” holding back tears.

Unfortunately during her dialysis run that weekend they took off too much water and warned her she may feel ill as a result over the next few days. The last day of our visit as predicted Nana became ill. She spent the morning in bed and moved to the couch to spend a bit time with us before we had to drive back home.

Little A climbed up on the couch to cuddle with her Nana, understanding that Nana wasn’t feeling well. Cuddles always make Nana feel better.

Cuddling with Nana

It was during her cuddling that Little A noticed the dialysis catheter and asked Nana what it was. My mom said, ” Well that is where they give me medicine to make my blood cleaner”.

Little A thought for a minute then climbed off the couch. My mom and I watched her silently wondering what she was up to. She went over to her Doctors kit and said ,”I need one too.” She sifted thru her play doctors bag and found what looked the most like Nana’s catheter to her. She put it in her shirt adjusting it so that it was sticking out a bit and would stay in while she walked around -just like her Nana.

“Look Nana, I can have clean blood too.” she said walking back and forth between us ever so proud.

I need one too

Wowed us with her sensitivity

She’s wowed all of us.

During our last visit when my mom was in the hospital and heavily sedated Little A walked into her room and gently patted her hand saying “It’s ok Nana, don’t worry , everything will be Ok. Don’t Worry”. Guess we should have listened closer to my little 3 year old.

This is the 5th time she is being forced to face this crazed opponent in an engagement.

My mom’s first comment to me after I heard the news from my brother and dad was

“Here we go again”

No one should think Cancer is routine. When its come back time and time again, it is how you deal with it. But still.

My stomach drops. The underlying tone of her statement is so loaded with mixed emotions. How is that even fair that my mom must face this disease for a fifth time? Wasn’t cervical, breast, colon and kidney enough! It has to have another go at her other kidney – seriously cancer – GFYS! Give me the burden; she doesn’t deserve it.

While I’d give anything to take this tumor from my mom I can’t. I feel powerless, I am scared, I am mad, I am things I can’t find words for. The tears start well up, I crush my eyes closed, Breathe in, Breathe out. I take one more big inhale and exhale, look up to the sky and think – We are never powerless, our courage comes from the depth of our hearts, our brains, our stomach, our nerves – We dig deep.

She is an All Star Champion. Each time she’s stepped into the octagon previously she submitted Cancer and got the tap out. She wears several scars as badges and is missing a few body parts due to her matches in her cancer octagon. But She is a survivor! That is her power.

I am her cornerman. This is my power.

I will give her that little fighters stool in the corner to sit down on, I will cool her back with ice packs and hold her up when she needs it. I’ll whisper words of empowerment, health and strength, talk about future adventures and family fun to come. I will cry, scream, and beg if I have to.

My mom is a fighter; stronger than any woman I have met or will ever meet. She will do the only thing you can do – look that crappy disease head on and force it into submission. She holds the power.

I have struggled with Labyrinthitis for a long time. I get dizzy spells where I feel like I’m on a boat or maybe in an earthquake. I get noise sensitive and confused. It’s frustrating. I don’t respond to the one recommended medication. My last episode had me at the doctor yet again but wanting a new look at my symptoms.

I’ll relive my last event.

– Come out of an elevator, try to put on my daughter’s jacket before going outside and I’m hit with a wave around me. I grab the chair to steady myself, was this the big earthquake hitting Vancouver, did anyone else feel that. NOPE just me.

– I take a deep breath and head across the street, we are meeting my husband for dinner.

– Noise sensitivity starts up pretty fast. A glass being set on a table feels like its smashing against my head, my daughters chitter chatter is gouging into my face, my husbands simple questions like what to order for my daughter become blunt arrows attempting to pierce my eyes.

– Comprehension weakens -I can’t find words to answer questions like would you like tea or coffee, the ability to make the decision is impossible at that moment. I lose words – I want to say glass of water but can’t think of the right term for a container that holds water

– I am frustrated and try to act like I’m ok, but I’m squinting and my shoulder are squeezing up to my ears. I’m not OK. and its obvious.

This is not Labyrinthitis. This is an Atypical Migraine and I’m having one tonight. It’s not huge -about a 6 out of 10. Forgive me if this post has errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation but I wanted to get it out.

This is the face of a migraine, my migraine.

The face of my migraine

I’m sitting in the dark, the computer brightness as low as possible, no noise. My neck hurts, my head hurts, my lips are pressed tight together, my hair is frazzled, my one eye is being lazy, I don’t feel I can hold my head straight.

tired of trying to find what food to make your toddler? The bigger question, will they eat it? This is a blog about food I make for Alice, and the successes and failures of what's on the menu at our house.